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Thread: Good Mandolins for under $700?

  1. #26
    Registered User Andy Alexander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Having a scroll on a mandolin under $700 makes about as much sense as having a Ford Escort with a spoiler and racing stripes.

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    Moderator JEStanek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    You can often find a used Eastman515 for ~$700. Those sound just fine.

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  3. #28
    Registered User Patrick Market's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Alexander View Post
    Having a scroll on a mandolin under $700 makes about as much sense as having a Ford Escort with a spoiler and racing stripes.
    Maybe. Maybe not.

    What's under the hood? Was the suspension altered? In mando terms, is it solid wood? Was it set up well? Does it have good strings? How does it sound? Etc...

    I bought my car because it gets me from point A to B. I bought my mandolins because (to me) they sounded good.

    Looks shmooks...
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  4. #29

    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    I second the Godin recommendation - I play one in a rock band and just bought another (the one in the classifieds) - I previously used either a Rigel or Phoenix (which I love) along with electric mando, but kept having occasional feedback issues with the acoustic mandos - that hasn't happened with the Godin... There may be a Godin at emando.com for $600.00

  5. #30
    Registered User Jim MacDaniel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy Alexander View Post
    Having a scroll on a mandolin under $700 makes about as much sense as having a Ford Escort with a spoiler and racing stripes.
    The SVT version of the Escort was a hot little car (especially the higher horsepower model released in Europe) for less than $20K new. Likewise, you can get a decently performing mandolin with a scroll for $700 for less, but I think most people here will agree with you that you get more bang-for-your-buck with an A-style.
    "The problem with quotes on the internet, is everybody has one, and most of them are wrong."
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  6. #31

    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    The RS2000 Escort was awesome...

  7. #32
    Registered User stratton7584's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

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  8. #33
    Registered User Andy Alexander's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Market View Post
    Maybe. Maybe not.

    What's under the hood? Was the suspension altered? In mando terms, is it solid wood? Was it set up well? Does it have good strings? How does it sound? Etc...

    I bought my car because it gets me from point A to B. I bought my mandolins because (to me) they sounded good.

    Looks shmooks...
    Exactly my point. At under $700 every nickle better be going towards things that affect the sound and playability not visual things like a scroll and points, fancy inlay, or highly flamed wood if in fact performance is what you are really after. There are F5 style mandolins that sound as good as some A styles in the same price range but they are the exception rather than the rule. If you are set on having an F style in a lower price range, the reality of the situation is that you are probably going to give up some things that affect the sound to have that scroll on there.

  9. #34

    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Stevie Perry. Go take a look at an upright for ~$600. I have a friend who plays an electric fretless and standard Fender, and got wind of an Ergo and ordered one. Edgar Meyer has one, but that doesn't mean he would admit it, but it looks like it could be fun.
    Tell me what you think. http://www.ergoinstruments.com/

  10. #35
    Plank Spanker outdoors4me's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Well, I won't get into brands, but after playing some mandos in the 4-6K range, I played some cheapos-all $700 or less. I was amazed at the playability. The sound? So so. But hey, when I first started playing in the mid 90's the cheapos just stunk.

    For a new player, right now is a really good time to start, even if you don't have much money.

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  11. #36
    Registered User Jessbusenitz's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Here a deal if you don't mind a few scratches. http://cgi.ebay.com/Kentucky-KM-855-...item45f274acfc btw nfi Jess
    Last edited by Jessbusenitz; Apr-24-2010 at 6:41pm. Reason: edit link

  12. #37
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Quote Originally Posted by powellmacaque View Post
    How easy would it be to install a pickup system into one of these instruments? I really like the oval hole instruments for whatever reason (I play my mandolin in a rock group).
    I just did piezo pickup install on several mando instruments. It is not too hard at all. On my oval hole OM, I found a Fishman NEO-D pickup fit in the sound hole and sounded pretty good through my amp and PA systems at a couple bars (without any preamp). I picked it up at a local shop marked down to $40. To me, the oval hole mandos have more sustain and more low end response than f hole mandos.

    Quote Originally Posted by powellmacaque View Post
    I've also been tossing around the idea of going to the bigger members of the mandolin family as it might be easier on my rather large bass-player hands. Are there any options in the octave mandolin or mandocello range under $700 (I know it's probably a long shot)?
    Better face it that you're gonna want a mandolin(s), an OM or two and a mandocello before you're done. The OM fits within the guitar's range; the E on an OM is the same as the high E on a guitar. The G is the same as the 3rd fret on the low E on a guitar. So in a band setting; IMO you add more sonically with a mandolin than an OM. The C on a mandocello is tuned a third below the low E on a guitar. To me, the cello really rounds out the low end with a band, but gives a different voice and melodic capability than a guitar or a bass. You can find a few celtic style OM's in your price range (Trinity College is pretty well recommended on this forum). Mandocellos in that range are almost unheard of, but there are some builders and of course the used market that may turn up.

  13. #38

    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Hey guys, don't mean to dig up an old thread, but I feel bad not responding to such great suggestions and help.

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Perry View Post
    So... You went to TalkBass.com, huh? Yeah... they don't want to talk to you unless your going to spend $20,000 on an Upright. Come one over to www.bluegrassbassplace.com and anybody over there will be glad to help you... even if your not going to play Bluegrass. You can get a heck of a good Bass for $1500.
    Yeah, it was on talkbass. I went to their DB side of the forum to ask where to begin on Bluegrass bass without taking "classical" lessons, and I got flamed for being "what's wrong with kids these days." I understand that I need to practice a lot to get good, but who says you need to play Bach to get good? No offense towards Mr. Bach, but it's just not my cup. I love talkbass's electric forum, they have this thing called "a sense of humor" over there that is practically unheard of by their elitist double-bass players. I'm definitely going to be checking out the link you suggested.

    A little update on my mandolin situation: I got a Fender FM62SCE. Why? It looked cool, I could crank it thru an amp without feedback, and it had some acoustic playability. And I paid $450 for one that'd been sitting in a local shop since it was introduced in the early 2000s.

    After all this: I'm not playing mandolin much in my band anymore. I write songs with it (I can't seem to write on guitar), but we actually have a pretty skilled full-time mandolin player in our band now.

    I am still very interested in Mandocello or Octave Mandolin, specifically mandocello. I love the deep growliness of the low C but the open melodic tendencies of fifths tuning. I'm saving up to get a proper mandocello now. I might just have a luthier build me one. Any suggestions under $2k (the lower the better, lol)?

  14. #39
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Good Mandolins for under $700?

    Quote Originally Posted by powellmacaque View Post
    I am still very interested in Mandocello or Octave Mandolin, specifically mandocello. I love the deep growliness of the low C but the open melodic tendencies of fifths tuning. I'm saving up to get a proper mandocello now. I might just have a luthier build me one. Any suggestions under $2k (the lower the better, lol)?
    There are are a few "off the shelf" choices for 'cello. You can get an Eastman MDC805 for around $1800. You can get an Ovation for ~$2050. Santa Cruz makes another flat top 'cello for ~ $4500. Or you can get a flat top Weber for ~$2000 all the way up to $4800 for an arch top A or up to $7800 for an F style.

    Going the Luthier route, Joe Mendel builds mandocellos, as do several other cafe sponsors and contributors. There are also several guitar to cello conversions I've heard of. See also the CBOM forum here and The Mandocello Enthusiast on facebook for more info.

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